


Piece by piece

by janescott



Series: Alright [2]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Baby, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-10
Updated: 2014-09-10
Packaged: 2018-02-16 22:31:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2286797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/janescott/pseuds/janescott
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Niall and Harry babysit baby Isa. Part of It's (going to be) alright which is now apparently a series.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Piece by piece

**Author's Note:**

> Beta'd by magenta and brit-picked by red_adam. thank you :D
> 
> Nothing belongs to me.

Niall pushes open the door to the building, silently praising the fact that it’s finally Friday, and he’s _finally_ done helping Sean set up the systems for his new business.

He’s got nothing on his mind except for takeaways, getting Harry naked, and maybe testing out the new ropes he’d ordered that had finally arrived a couple of days ago … 

Niall starts humming as he heads up the stairs, coming to an abrupt stop just outside the door to their flat.

“Uh … Zayn? You okay? Is Isa all right?”

Niall drops his bags and glances at Isa, chewing on her fist in her car seat before turning his attention back to Zayn. 

Zayn’s sitting on the floor, leaning against Niall and Harry’s door.

Niall sits cross-legged in front of him and waits, the only sound Isa chattering away to her fist.

“I’m fine, Niall,” Zayn says eventually, blinking slowly. “I’m just. I’m just tired. Work was - long, and then I took Isa to see Louis in the hospital, and then I went to get my keys and I sat down and that’s … where I am.”

Niall nods, resting his chin on his hand. “How’s Louis doing?” He’s pleased when Zayn’s face brightens. 

“He’s doing much better. Ben says that they’ve finally got the infection under control, and he’ll be able to come home on Monday.”

Niall reaches out and taps on Zayn’s knee. “Mate. That’s great news.”

Zayn nods and closes his eyes, drifting for a bit. “And that’s it, Niall. .This is his last surgery.”

Niall squeezes Zayn’s knee, looks at his bags and gives a small, silent sigh.

“All right, mate. Come on. Let’s get you inside before you fall asleep out here.”

Niall stands up and holds his hand out. Zayn takes it and hauls himself up, glancing over at the car seat. “I need to get Isa inside, and she’s due a bottle and a change, and she needs a bath ….”

Niall’s already shaking his head. “No, no and nope. I know Liam’s working late, and Dani’s away and _nope_. You are going to go inside, have something to eat, and go to bed. We are going to take Isa for the night.”

“Niall …. but it’s date night, I can’t ask you to do that.”

“You’re not asking, I’m offering. I know these past few weeks have been hard, and if you weren’t such a stubborn bloody idiot you would have asked for help before you ended up crashed out on our doorstep.”

Zayn sighs and he opens his mouth to say something but that’s when Harry comes bounding up the stairs, sweeping Niall into his arms and into a dramatic dip - or it would be a dramatic dip if Harry didn’t trip over Niall’s ankles and send them both down in a heap.

“Hi baby,” he says, kissing Niall square on the mouth. He then pulls himself to his feet, bends over Isa’s car seat and coos “Hi baby,” in a higher voice, that sends Isa into paroxyms of delight and squealing.

“What’s going on?”

“We are taking Isa for the night,” Niall says. “Zayn’s shattered from shuttling between work and the hospital and taking care of Isa. Louis gets out on Monday, and Zayn won’t do anyone any good if he’s walking around like a zombie.”

Niall watches on with quiet affection as Harry’s face just lights up and he’s already reaching to release Isa from her car seat, tucking her up by his neck and cooing as she grabs for his curls.

“So date night will be … takeaway and a movie,” Harry says, fishing out his keys and unlocking the door to their flat while expertly balancing Isa one-armed. 

He grins at Niall, his face so lit up that Niall almost feels like he has to look away. Instead, he snorts in affection and rolls his eyes. 

“I’m going to go and get Zayn settled, yeah? I’ll see you in a bit.”

Harry dips down and kisses Niall on the cheek before frowning at Zayn and saying, “Get some rest okay? You’re no good to your family if you can’t even stand up straight.”

Zayn pushes himself off the wall he’d been leaning on, sighs, and switches his leaning allegiance to Niall.

“Bye bye baby,” he says softly to Isa, who’s still gleefully tugging at Harry’s curls. “Be good for Harry and Niall. Baba and daddy love you.” Zayn waves sadly before letting Niall maneuver him into his own flat and on to the couch.

Zayn lies down with a soft groan, shutting his eyes and curling up.

“I’m going to take off your boots, okay? Then I’m going to heat up some soup or something and let you get some sleep.”

Niall hears a muffled noise from the cushion that Zayn’s face is pressed into. He takes it as assent, and bustles about as quietly as he can, pulling Zayn’s boots off and digging in their freezer for the containers of soup that Niall knows Harry has tucked away.

He stays long enough to watch Zayn eat half a bowl of soup and pick at some toast, before throwing a blanket over him on the couch and texting Liam so he knows what to expect when he gets home from work.

He heads to his own flat, noting that Harry has taken the grocery bags in, and no doubt put everything away.

Niall closes the door quietly behind himself and toes off his shoes. He stops at the door of the living room, taking in the quiet scene in front of him.

Harry’s on the couch with Isa, intent as he gives her a bottle, murmuring softly as she grasps at it, small swallowing sounds echoing slightly.

There’s an open packet of nappies, and another of wipes on the coffee table, and Niall notes that Harry has changed her into a clean babygrow.

He goes and sits beside Harry, quietly kissing him on the shoulder. 

“Indian? I can order from the place down the road, after Isa’s had her bath.”

Harry nods, giving Niall a quick glance before turning his attention back to Isa.

Niall looks around the living room and shakes his head.

“You know, sometimes I think we have more stuff for Isa at our place than Zayn and Louis do.”

Harry hums in agreement and pops the empty bottle out of Isa’s mouth. He shifts her gently and Niall automatically reaches for her - out of all of them he’s somehow the best at bringing up her wind.

“Still,” Niall says, kissing Harry’s shoulder again because he can, standing up and pacing with Isa tucked up near his shoulder as he rubs her back. “Come in handy when we have our own, won’t it?”

Date night may be delayed (but only until Saturday when Harry makes good use of the ropes Niall had ordered), but Niall thinks it’s worth it for the way Harry’s face lights up.

Family is a funny thing, Niall thinks as he listens to Harry croon softly to Isa later that night as he tucks her away in the cot they have in their spare room. It’s blood and history and bonds that knit people together.

And sometimes, he thinks, as Harry crawls into bed beside him and murmurs that he loves him into Niall’s neck, family is what you put together yourself, piece by piece.


End file.
